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PC Hardware A Beginner’s Guide

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  •  2 Basic PC Concepts and Terminology

    • An Introduction to Digital Logic

      • Digital versus Analog

      • Computing in Binary Numbers



    • The Hexadecimal Number System

      • Working with Number Systems on the PC



    • Electricity and the PC

      • AC Power and DC Power

      • External Power Issues

      • Protecting Against ESD



    • A Quick Overview of the Electronics of the PC

      • Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors

      • The Electronic Building Blocks of the PC





  •  3 Microprocessors Internal Components

    • An Introduction to Digital Logic

      • Two-State Logic

      • Binary Data

      • Storing Data in a Byte

      • Converting Decimal to Binary

      • Binary Logic Operations

      • The Hexadecimal System



    • Semiconductors

      • Conductors and Insulators

      • How an IC Is Made



    • The Transistor

      • Storing Electricity

      • Integrated Circuit



    • The Microprocessor

      • CPU’s Bus System

      • Packaging

      • Cooling the Processor

      • Sockets and Slots

      • The Evolution of the PC Microprocessor

      • The Pentium

      • Intel Pentium Pro

      • The Pentium II

      • Intel Pentium III

      • Intel Pentium





  •  4 Motherboards

    • Motherboard Designs

      • Motherboards

      • Backplanes



    • Motherboard Form Factors

      • The IBM PC XT

      • The IBM PC AT

      • The Baby AT Form Factor

      • Micro-AT Form Factor

      • LPX and Mini-LPX Specifications

      • ATX Form Factor

      • Mini-ATX

      • NLX Form Factor



    • The Components of the Motherboard

    • Upgrading a Motherboard



  •  5 Chipsets and Controllers

    • Introduction to Chipsets

      • Socket Type

      • North Bridge and South Bridge

      • Processor Generations



    • Controller Chips

      • Bus Architectures

      • Keyboard Controller

      • Super I/O Controller

      • Other Device Controllers



    • Chipsets

      • Chipset Functions

      • Intel Chipsets

      • Non-Intel Chipsets



    • New Developments



  •  6 The BIOS and the Boot Process

    • An Introduction to the BIOS

      • The BIOS Utilities and Programs

      • BIOS Manufacturers



    • Booting the Computer

      • System Boot Sequence

      • Cold Boots versus Warm Boots

      • The POST Process

      • BIOS Startup Screen

      • System Configuration Summary



    • ROMs, PROMs, and EPROMs: BIOS Chips

      • Read-Only Memory (ROM)

      • Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM)

      • Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM)

        • Memory (EEPROM) Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only



      • Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS)

      • ROM BIOS



    • The BIOS Configuration

      • System Configuration Data



    • BIOS Updates and Flash BIOS

      • Flashing Dangers

      • Dealing with a Corrupt BIOS

      • Flashing Security

      • The Boot Block





  •  7 Computer Memory

    • A Brief Overview of ROM

    • CMOS

    • RAM

      • Random Access

      • Volatile versus Nonvolatile

      • Bits, Bytes, and Words

      • Memory Speeds

      • RAM Types

      • Static RAM

      • DRAM

      • Matching Memory to the Motherboard

      • Parity Memory

      • DRAM Technologies

      • Video RAM

      • Parameter RAM



    • Logical Memory Configuration

      • Conventional Memory

      • The Upper Memory Area

      • Extended Memory and the High Memory Area



    • Dealing with Memory Errors

      • Common Memory Errors

      • Software Diagnostic Tools

      • Memory Testing Tools



    • Installing Memory Modules in a PC

      • Installing a SIMM in a PC

      • Installing a DIMM on a PC

      • Configuring the PC for Memory

      • Removing a Memory Module





  •  8 Cache Memory

    • Cache on the PC

      • SRAM and Cache Memory

      • Caching in Operation

      • Internal, External, and Levels of Cache

      • Sizing Your Cache

      • Cache Memory Types

      • Caching Write Policies

      • Nonblocking Cache

      • Cache Mapping

      • Cache Mounts



    • Installing a Cache Module

      • General Tips for Working on a Motherboard

      • Installing a COAST Module

      • Installation Problems

      • Enabling the Internal Cache

      • Enabling the External Cache





  •  9 Hard Disks and Floppy Disks

    • Hard Disk Drives

      • Hard Disk Construction

      • The Spindle Motor

      • Storage Media

      • Read/Write Heads

      • Head Actuators

      • Air Filters

      • Logic Boards

      • Connectors and Jumpers

      • Bezel



    • Interfaces

      • ST506/412 Interface

      • ESDI

      • IDE

      • SCSI Interface

      • FC-AL Interface

      • System Bus Interface

      • Transfer Protocols

      • Data Addressing



    • Data Organization

      • Disk Capacities



    • Hard Disk Performance

      • Performance Indicators

      • Interleaving



    • Formatting the Disk

      • Partitioning the Hard Disk

      • File Systems



    • Disk Space Requirements

      • Disk Compression

      • RAID



    • Floppy Disk Drives

      • Floppy Disk Construction

      • Formatting





  •  10 CD-ROMs and DVDs

    • The Technology of the CD and CD-ROM

      • CD-ROM Formats

      • Compact Disc Media

      • CD-ROM Drive Operation

      • Audio Output and Controls

      • Single and Multiple Drives



    • Digital Versatile/Video Disc (DVD)

      • DVD Technology

      • Installing a DVD Drive in Your PC





  •  11 Expansion Cards

    • Using Expansion Cards

    • Expansion Buses

      • Bus Mastering

      • Local Bus Architectures

      • Portable PC Interface

      • SCSI Interfaces

      • Serial and Parallel Ports

      • USB and IEEE 1394 Interfaces



    • Expansion Cards

      • Controller Cards

      • Input/Output (I/O) Cards

      • Interface Cards

      • Memory Cards

      • Memory Expansion Card (MEC)

      • PC Card Memory

      • Modem Cards

      • Sound Cards

      • Video Cards



    • Expansion Card Operation

      • Interrupt Requests (IRQs)

      • I/O Addresses

      • Direct Memory Access

      • Setting System Resources

      • Plug and Play



    • Working with Expansion Cards

      • Installing an Expansion Card

      • Troubleshooting Expansion Cards

      • Dealing with Choke Points

      • Resolving Resource Conflicts on Windows PCs

      • Resolving Resource Conflicts with Plug-and-Play Devices





  •  12 Video Cards

    • How a Video Card Works

      • Transform and Lighting Phase

      • Setup Phase

      • Dividing Up the Work

      • 2D and 3D Graphic Data

      • Converting Digital to Analog

      • Pathways and Converters



    • Video Card Standards

      • Connector



    • Video Card Components

      • Video Processor

      • Video Memory

      • Resolution

      • Color Depth

      • Aspect Ratio

      • How Much Video Memory Is Needed?

      • 3D Video Memory

      • Video RAM Technologies

      • Bus Mastering

      • Video Chipsets

      • The Video BIOS

      • The RAMDAC



    • 3D Graphics

      • 3D Graphics Accelerators

      • Transform and Lighting

      • Setu p.

      • Rendering



    • Installing a Video Card

    • Troubleshooting the Video Card

      • Determining the Type of Video Card in a PC



    • Troubleshooting Video Problems

      • Nothing Is Displayed on the Monitor

      • The Display Is Scrambled

      • The Display Appears Fuzzy or Blurry

        • Windows Display Settings The Settings for the Video Card Are Not Listed in the



      • Higher Resolutions Cannot Be Selected



    • Upgrading the RAM on a Video Card



  •  13 System Resources

    • Getting the CPU’s Attention

    • Communicating to Devices

    • Taking Control

    • The PC’s System Resources

    • Interrupt Request (IRQ)

      • Checking Out IRQ Settings

      • IRQ Connections

      • IRQ Assignments

      • Configuring IRQ Settings

      • Programmable Interrupt Controllers



    • I/O Addresses

      • Common I/O Address Assignments

      • I/O Addresses in Windows

      • Logical Devices



    • Memory Addresses

    • Direct Memory Access (DMA)

      • DMA Operation

      • DMA Channels

      • DMA Modes

      • DMA Parties



    • Resolving Resource Conflicts

      • Plug and Pray

      • One Step at a Time

      • Read the Fantastic Manual (RTFM)

      • Troubleshooting IRQs

      • Troubleshooting DMA Channels

      • Running Windows Troubleshooting





  •  14 Power Supply and Electrical Issues

    • Understanding Electricity

      • Counting Electrons

      • Measuring Current

      • Switching AC to DC



    • Elementary Electronics

      • Digital Circuit

      • Semiconductors, Conductors, and Insulators

      • Electronic Building Blocks



    • Static Electricity and ESD

      • ESD

      • Dealing with Static Electricity



    • The Power Supply

      • Good Power Signal

      • Soft Switches

      • Voltages

      • Power Supply Form Factors

      • Operational Ratings



    • Electrical Power Issues

      • Protecting the Power Supply

      • Watts and Volt-amps Ratings





  •  15 The System Case External Components

    • The Case for the Case

      • Case Components

      • The Chassis

      • The Cover

      • The Front Panel

      • Front-Panel Switches

      • Drive Bays



    • System Case Styles

      • Tower versus Deskto p.

      • System Case Form Factors



    • System Case Features

      • I/O Templates

      • Power Supply

      • Auxiliary Fans

      • LEDs, the Speaker, and Some Connecting Wires

      • Cooling Vents

      • Mounting Hardware





  •  16 Monitors and Displays

    • CRTs versus Flat-Panels

      • The PC Monitor

      • CRT Displays

      • Flat-Panel Displays

      • Flat-Screen versus Flat-Panel

      • Viewable Size

      • Dots and Pixels

      • Resolution

      • Aspect Ratio

      • Monitor Size and Resolution

      • Color Depth

      • Refresh Rate

      • Signals and Connectors

      • Monitor Controls

      • Video Display Standards

      • Video Cards



    • The Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

      • Painting the Screen

      • Refreshing the Display

      • Masking the Display

      • Dot Pitch and Stripe Pitch

      • Scan Rates

      • Raster versus Vector Graphics

      • Analog versus Digital CRTs



    • Flat-Panel Displays

      • Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

      • LCD Types

      • Viewing Angles



    • Integrated PC and Monitors

    • Pen-Based Systems

    • Monitor Power

      • Power Management

      • Degaussing

      • Screen Savers



    • Monitor Maintenance

      • Caring for the Monitor



    • Monitor Safety

      • Personal Safety

      • Environmental Issues





  •  17 Printers

    • Printer Types and Technologies

      • The Evolution of the PC Printer

      • A Quick Look at Printer Characteristics



    • Dot Matrix Printers

      • Printing on a Dot Matrix Printer

      • Print Buffer

      • Color Dot Matrix Printers



    • Inkjet Printers

      • Inkjet Technologies

      • The Inkjet Printing Process

      • Inkjet Ink

      • Inkjet Cartridges

      • Inkjet Paper

      • Paper Flow

      • Printer Drivers



    • Laser Printers

      • Laser Printer Technologies

      • Inside the Laser Printer

      • Color Laser Printers

      • Toner



    • LED Printers

    • Thermal Printers

    • Connecting the Printer to the PC

      • Using a Switchbox

      • Printer Standards

      • Connecting to a Network



    • Printer Safeguards

      • Laser Printer Care



    • Setting Up a Printer in Windows



  •  18 Keyboards, Mice, and Pointing Devices

    • Keyboards

      • Keyboard Elements

      • Keyboard Layouts and Styles

      • Keyboard Technology

      • Keyboard Controller

      • Keyboard Cable

      • Keyboard Connectors



    • The Mouse

      • Inside the Mouse

      • Mouse Connectors

      • Data Interface

      • Wheel Mouse

      • Optical Mouse

      • Other Pointing Devices





  •  19 Ports and Connectors

    • Connectors on the Motherboard

      • Back Panel Connectors

      • Onboard Connectors

      • Front Panel Connectors



    • External Ports and Connectors

    • Character Data

    • Serial and Parallel Data

    • Full, Half, and Single Modes

    • Serial Ports and Connectors

      • Pinouts and Cable Connections

      • Asynchronous Communications

      • Synchronous Communications

      • RS-232 Communications



    • Cabling the Connection

      • Configuring a Serial Port

      • Troubleshooting a Serial Port



    • Parallel Ports

      • Parallel Port Standards



    • The USB Interface

      • Connecting with USB

      • How USB Works



    • The FireWire Interface

      • Defining the 1394 Bus



    • Wireless Ports

      • Infrared Ports

      • Radio Frequency Interfaces



    • PS/2 and DIN Connectors

    • Video Interfaces

      • Video Connectors



    • SCSI Interface

      • External SCSI Connectors

      • SCSI Standards

      • SCSI Voltage Differentials

      • Configuring SCSI Devices





  •  20 Networks and Communications

    • Network Basics

      • What Is a Network?

      • Network Structures

      • Network Components



    • Servers

    • Cabling

      • Cable Types

      • Cable Characteristics

      • Ethernet Cable Designations

      • Broadband versus Baseband

      • Twisted Pair Wire

      • Fiber Optic Cable



    • Backbones and Segments

      • FDDI

      • Segments



    • Networking Devices

      • Repeaters

      • Hubs

      • Bridges

      • Switches

      • Routers

      • Gateways

      • Network Interface Cards (NICs)

      • NIC Connectors



    • Network Topologies

    • Network Addressing

      • MAC Addresses

      • IP Addresses

      • Network Names



    • Configuring a PC for Network Connection

    • Dialing Up a Network

      • Modem Types

      • Internal versus External Modems

      • AT Commands

      • Dial-up Connections

      • Troubleshooting Modem Connections



    • Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL)

      • DSL Modems, Bridges, and Routers



    • Cable Modems

    • ISDN Terminal Adapters

    • Wireless Networking

      • Access Points and Network Adapters

      • Bluetooth





  •  21 Audio/Visual Devices

    • Sound on the PC

      • Sound Card

      • Amplifier

      • Speakers

      • Software



    • Sound Capture and Playback

      • Capture

      • Digital Audio Extraction

      • Playback

      • Sound File Formats

      • Streaming Audio



    • CD-ROM and DVD Interfaces

    • Installing a Sound Card

      • ISA Sound Cards

      • PCI Sound Cards



    • Video and Graphic Files

      • AVI

      • MPEG

      • QuickTime Movie

      • Video Terminology

      • Streaming Video

      • Codecs

      • Teleconferencing Systems



    • Image Capture

      • Scanners

      • Image Software

      • Video Capture Devices

      • Digitizers





  •  22 PC Care and Maintenance System Care and Troubleshooting

    • Preventive Maintenance of a PC

      • Input Devices

      • Output Devices

      • Cleaning and Maintenance Supplies

      • Inside the Case

      • Hard Disk Drives

      • Floppy Disk Drive

      • CD-ROM and DVD Drives

      • Miscellaneous Components

      • Portable PCs

      • Virus Detection and Protection

      • Electrical Protection

      • Environmental Issues





  •  23 Electrical Power Issues

    • Power Line Problems

      • Line Noise

      • Power Surges

      • Power Spikes

      • Power Sags or Dips

      • Brownouts

      • Blackouts



    • Protecting Against Power Problems

      • No Power Protection

      • Surge Suppressors

      • Other Surge Suppressor Types

      • Line Conditioners

      • Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

      • Protecting Modems and Networks



    • Saving the Planet

    • DC Power



  •  24 Troubleshooting PC Hardware

    • Power Source and Environmental Issues

    • Learning from the Past

    • Troubleshooting FRMs

      • Troubleshooting the BIOS

      • Troubleshooting the CPU

      • Troubleshooting the Floppy Disk Drive

      • Troubleshooting Hard Disk Drives

      • Troubleshooting Memory

      • Troubleshooting the Video System

      • Troubleshooting the Power Supply

      • Troubleshooting the Sound System





  •  Index

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